Child of the Miasma
by iTomato
Summary: Naraku, being the insane demon he is, has some "fun" with Kagome... and Inuyasha is fuming... InuKag
1. chapter one

MysticalDreamer: hmm... i have no idea where this came from...  
  
disclaimer: dont own it  
  
chapter one  
  
Inuyasha, a hanyou who was extremely protective of certain people, sat contently in a tree, watching over everyone down below.  
  
There was Kagome, who was standing over the fire. She stirred the ramen, which his mouth began to water over the sight of it. She was laughing at something.  
  
Next to her was Shippo, who had eaten some of her candy, and was bouncing all over the place, talking gibberish.  
  
Then there was Sango, who was polishing her Hiraikotsu after the last battle they had. She was still in her Slayer attire, as the fight had ended not too long ago. Near her, was Miroku, sitting quietly in a somewhat meditative stance, obviously thinking about something.  
  
"Its ready!" called Kagome, taking the ramen off the fire.  
  
Everyone got up cheerfully, heading over towards her to get some tasty noodles. Inuyasha beat everyone to it, first in line for some of his favorite dish.  
  
Just when he was about to dig into it, trees toppled over near their campsite. Everyone jumped up on alert.  
  
Crashing through the forrest came a large demon, complete with the foamy mouth and homicidal eyes.  
  
"What?" asked Inuyasha. "Come to get killed?" he asked, unsheathing the Tetsusaiga and running towards the creature.  
  
"Kirara!" shouted Sango, grabbing her Hiraikotsu and jumping onto the cat demon's back.  
  
Miroku took, had took off towards the demon. Meanwhile, Shippo lost his hyperness and leaped into Kagome's arms.  
  
"Stay back Kagome!" shouted Inuyasha.  
  
Kagome nodded. She dashed behind a tree, clutching Shippo tightly, but not before grabbing her bow and arrows.  
  
The Tetsusaiga transformed, and Inuyasha attacked. He slashed at the demon, who growled.  
  
"So, ya don't speak do ya?" he shouted. "Well thats fine with me 'cause you ain't got nothin' to say when you're dead!"  
  
"Stop yelling at it Inuyasha, and just kill it!" shouted Sango, sounding a little annoyed.  
  
The demon looked to her, and swung its claws at Kirara. She dogdged, but the aftershock of the slash sent Sango flying off her cat and smack into a tree. She cried out in pain.  
  
"Sango!" shouted Kagome. She ran out without thinking to help her friend. "Sango! Please be okay!" she cried.  
  
Sango opened an eye. "I am fine." she said. She attempted to stand, but nearly fell before Kagome caught her. "I must fight!" she declared.  
  
"Not this time!" said Kagome. "You're too injured now. You won't be a lot of help."  
  
"Any help is better than none!" said Sango, pushed Kagome off of her and once again taking hold of her weapon. She ran foward, straight at the demon.  
  
"Hiraikotsu!!" she shouted, sending her giant boomerang sailing at it.  
  
The demon deflected it, sending it right back at Sango. She ducked just in time, and it sailed over her head. When it came back, she snatched it, but it sent her to the ground.  
  
"Stand back!" shouted Miroku. "I'm going to use the Kazaana!"  
  
"Wait a sec there Miroku!" yelled Inuyasha. "I'll get this bastard with the Tetsusaiga!"  
  
With that, he ran foward and sliced at the demon, cutting him in two pieces. He turned around and looked at Kagome. "Any shards?" he asked.  
  
She shook her head. "None."  
  
"Okay, Miroku!" shouted Inuyasha. "Clean up this mess!"  
  
"What am I, cleaning service?" he said under his breath as he unleashed his Wind Tunnel to suck in the two pieces of demon.  
  
Inuyasha's ears twitched. "I heard that.."  
  
"Forgive me, great one..." Miroku grumbled.  
  
"That too."  
  
Miroku said nothing.  
  
Kagome rushed over to Sango. "Are you okay? Can you stand?" she asked.  
  
"I'm fine.." she said, pulling herself to her feet.  
  
"No you're not. Your back is bleeding a bit.." said Kagome, seeing the blood seep through the back of her shirt. She pulled Sango's arm over her shoulder. "Come on. Lets get it cleaned up."  
  
"Okay.." said Sango.  
  
Shippo jumped out from behind the tree and landed on Kagome's shoulder. "Everything is okay now, right?" he asked.  
  
"Of course, Shippo-chan." replied Kagome. "We just need to fix up Sango's back and everything will be fine again!"  
  
"Good!" grinned Shippo.  
  
"Miroku-sama! Inuyasha!" called Kagome. "Come on! We gotta clean up Sango's back."  
  
"What?" asked Miroku. "Sango is hurt?" he said, rushing over to them. Inuyasha trudged along behind him.  
  
"I'm fine, Houshi-sama.." said Sango, groaning a bit. "It's just a scratch."  
  
"There was a hut not to far from here." said Kagome. "Let's head back there."  
  
And with that, they all headed for the hut, despite Sango mumbling about how she was going to be better in no time.  
  
After cleaning her up a bit, they all settled down.  
  
"Kagome-chan.." said Sango, sitting up, and still annoyed that she was being forced to do this. "You're clothes.. and you... you've got some of my blood..."  
  
Kagome looked down, then at her back as best she could. "Oh.. it's okay." she said.  
  
"No. I feel terrible." said Sango. "I don't know how many uniforms you've maimed or destroyed because of blood and such."  
  
"Its okay, Sango-chan. Really." said Kagome.  
  
"There's a hot spring around here." said Sango. "At least go soak for a bit."  
  
"I'll wait til you can go."  
  
"No.. they won't let me." said Sango, tilting her head in Miroku and Inuyasha's direction. "Go, Kagome-chan."  
  
Kagome sighed. "Do you really want me to?" she asked.  
  
Sango nodded. "I don't want to keep you cooped up in here because I'm *injured*..." she shook her head at saying injured, as she considered it a minor scratch...  
  
"Okay, I'll go.." she said. She walked over to her bottomless backpack and pulled out what looked like a robe of sorts. "I'll just go soak for a bit.. then tomorrow we can stay longer." she said.  
  
Sango nodded. "Okay." she said. "And no, Houshi-sama... Kagome-chan doesn't need someone to watch her. She's not going to get killed just taking a bath. Besides.. if she screams, Inuyasha will hear her and run off..."  
  
"Hey!"  
  
"Its true, ne?" asked Sango.  
  
Inuyasha just grumbled, and turned around.  
  
Miroku sighed. "If you insist.. I will remain here and keep an eye on you Sango.." he said.  
  
Sango rolled her eyes. "You take everything the wrong way.." she said.  
  
"Eh? What was that?"  
  
"Forget it."  
  
"All righty!"  
  
Kagome laughed. "I'm gonna go now. To get back as soon as I can.." she said, before leaving the hut for the hot spring.  
  
She made her way through a small bit of forrest, before coming to the clearing that was the springs. She smiled. "Okay Sango... maybe I am a little happy you convinced me to go.." she grinned.  
  
She slipped off her clothes quickly, and jumped into the spring. She leaned back against a rock. "This does feel good..." she said softly.  
  
Kagome soaked for a good ten minutes before she realized how much time had passed. "Oh gods!" she said, grabbing a bar of soap out of somewhere from the robe. She quickly gave herself a wash, and dove under to wash off the suds.  
  
"I'll skip a hair wash today.." she said, sticking her hair back under the water once more. "I wish Sango was here... I'd feel a little better staying longer..."  
  
She stood up to get out, then froze. She grinned a bit. "Maybe...just a minute or so longer... Gomen ne, Sango-chan.." she said.  
  
She sat back down in the water, twisting her hair into a bun at the top of her head. It fell a bit, like it was hanging off her skull. She sank to her shoulders in the warm spring and sighed. "I wish I could do this every day... Then again, that might spoil it's glory..."  
  
Kagome became lost in thought, thinking about random things that varied from InuYasha, all the way to what the next kind of shampoo she'd get would be.  
  
She opened a lazy eye and looked upward. Then both opened and they bulged. "Gods!" she shouted. "They are going to be so mad at me for this!!!" she wailed, leaping out of the water.  
  
She grabbed her robe and pulled it over her, as her clothes were still covered in a mess of blood and dirt. After taking the bath, she really didn't want to put them back on. She'd just wear that extra uniform from her backpack until she went home.  
  
"I must have been in there for at least twenty minutes, half an hour!" she said, bending down to gather up all her things. "InuYasha's probably on his way here now..." she grumbled. She went to grab her sock, when a chill went up her spine.  
  
~Eh..?~ she thought, standing up straight. ~There is definitely someone here...~  
  
She closed her robe more tightly, and her thumb twitched. ~ I don't sense any shards... And its not Miroku.. I wouldn't get such a horrible feeling if it were him...~  
  
Kagome closed her eyes tightly, willing the feeling to go away. She thought maybe it was just her imagination. When she opened her eyes, the feeling was still there.  
  
She took a deep breath, and slowly began to turn around.  
  
Kagome's eyes widened when she saw the figure standing about ten feet from her. "Nara-" she started.  
  
The next thing she knew, he was in her face. He pressed his lips against hers in a forceful way and she squealed. She began to just move anything around wildly, to get him away.  
  
He leaned away, but grinned at her in a sinister way.  
  
"Naraku.." she said in a low growl.  
  
"Well well..." he said. "For a second I thought you were Kikyo... but now I see you're not. What a foolish mistake I made..."  
  
"Get away from me..." she said in a demanding voice. "All it takes is a scream, and InuYasha will come flying."  
  
"Really now?" he asked.  
  
Kagome moved backwards, to get as far from him as possible. "Leave!" she shouted.  
  
"I really don't believe you're in a position to tell me to do so." he said, still with a downright evil smile.  
  
Kagome gave him the glare that sent InuYasha cowering, but he did nothing.  
  
"Now that I think about it..." said Naraku, taking a step closer to her, which made her go back another step. "Kikyo has got nothing on you... After all, you're still alive. Not to mention... you look so much alike..."  
  
"Why are you here?" said Kagome, making sure to keep her robe as tight as possible.  
  
Naraku just smiled his evil smile as a reply.  
  
Kagome opened her mouth to scream, but Naraku spoke. "Don't scream." he said. "Just as easily as you scream, I can kill you right now."  
  
She trembled. ~Should I chance a scream..?~ she thought.  
  
"Kikyo hates me..." said Naraku. "She will forever. She is of the undead, so she cannot die unless she is killed..."  
  
"Don't you think I know that?" snapped Kagome.  
  
Naraku once again grinned evilly. "Ah, of course... You're much smarter than that..."  
  
Kagome glared again, stepping backwards until she was up against a large rock near the waters of the hot spring.  
  
"Now you see... what I figure is this..." spoke Naraku, with that ever familiar evil smirk upon his face. "If I can't get near Kikyo... there's always..."  
  
Kagome began to panic even more now than before, as he took a step towards her.  
  
"There's always her reincarnation..." he said in a low, sinister voice. "Which is.. you."  
  
Kagome opened her mouth to scream as loud as she could, but Naraku was there again. He covered her mouth with his hand.  
  
"Kagome..." he whispered.  
  
Her eyes widened with terror as he moved closer and closer. Then she closed them.  
  
+  
  
A scream in the distance sent Inuyasha's ears perking up. "I know that yell..." he said. He jumped to his feet. "Kagome..."  
  
He ran out the door.  
  
Miroku looked to Sango. "That did indeed sound like Kagome-sama." he said. "Should we go?"  
  
"Why are you asking!" shouted Sango, standing. She nearly fell, but Miroku caught her and they dashed out of the little house.  
  
"Kirara!" shouted Sango.  
  
The cat demon transformed, and Sango and Miroku hopped on her back. Shippo wailed as he ran after them, grabbing Kirara's tail before she took off.  
  
Inuyasha sped through the forrest faster than he ever had before. Kagome has screamed numerous times, but this was different.  
  
"Kagome!" he shouted, voice echoing throughout the trees.  
  
He picked up on her scent, and flew in that direction. It was towards the hot springs. He ran as fast as his legs would go, pushing himself to run even faster.  
  
There was another scream, again Kagome. This one sounded more like a word, but he couldn't tell exactly what she was trying to say. It was almost as if... someone were stopping her...  
  
His eyes widened.  
  
After getting to the springs in half the amount of time that it had taken Kagome to get there, he touched ground. He looked around, trying to sense her.  
  
Then he did.  
  
"Kagome!"  
  
Inuyasha dashed over to her figure, leaning up against a rock. She looked out of it, and extremly pale.  
  
He kneeled down in front of her. "Kagome?" he asked.  
  
She looked up with eyes full of terror. There were tears pouring down her dirty face, and her robe was wrinkled.  
  
She pulled her knees closer to her, staring past Inuyasha. She whispered something unaudiable.  
  
"Kagome?" asked Inuyasha softly.  
  
".. st-stop..."  
  
Inuyasha looked at her, puzzled. "Stop...?"  
  
"STOP!" she shouted at him, backing into the rock as close as she possibly could.  
  
"Kagome..." said Inuyasha. He moved a bit closer to her.  
  
"STOP!!" she shouted again. Her eyes widened, and she began to cry more frantically. Her hair was slowly falling out of a twist, and strands dangled in her face.  
  
Inuyasha froze. In this kind of situation, he had no idea what to do. "Kagome..." he whispered. "It's me... Inuyasha..."  
  
"Inu...Inuyasha...?"  
  
"Yes." he said slowly.  
  
"Inuyasha?"  
  
He nodded. "Yes." he repeated.  
  
Kagome stared at him now, instead of staring past him. Her eyes seemed to come more into focus, and she looked into his eyes.  
  
"Inuyasha!!" she screamed, jumping foward into him. She gripped the top of his haori tightly, and continued crying.  
  
He wrapped his arms around her back, still confused, but he wanted to compfort her. ~Something happened to her... And I am going to find out what...~  
  
"Kagome?" he whispered.  
  
"Don't... don't leave.. leave me..."  
  
"I'm not going to.." he said. He rocked her a bit in his arms. He felt the girl's tears begin to seep through his shirt a bit. She was not going to stop her crying anytime soon, but that didn't bother him.  
  
"Inuyasha... Inuyasha..." she said, lightly, over and over.  
  
All he did was sit there, unmoving. He continued to rock slightly, attempting to calm her down. She just sat there, crying and crying and crying.  
  
The others still hadn't shown up, and it had been a good fifteen minutes or so. Either they got lost, or didn't follow.  
  
"Kagome?" he whispered. "I'm going to stand... and we're going to go..."  
  
She nodded into his chest.  
  
Inuyasha gathered her body in his arms, and stood up. She was still gripping his haori, and her face was now buried in it.  
  
He walked slowly away from the hot springs, and slowly headed back for the hut. He walked through the forrest, carrying Kagome in his arms.  
  
Inuyasha looked down at her face, but could not see it. He heard her still shedding tears, but didn't try to stop her. He wasn't going to.  
  
After taking much longer to walk back through the trees for obvious reasons, Inuyasha arrived back at the hut.  
  
Sitting just outside it, were Sango, Miroku and Shippo. Shippo took a flying leap towards them, but Miroku grabbed his tail. He knew something was wrong.  
  
"Kagome-chan..?" whispered Sango, trying to stand up. Miroku motioned with his hand for her to stay seated.  
  
"I don't know what's happened.." he said. "But any sudden movements could be hazardous to Kagome-sama..."  
  
Sango nodded, not letting the struggling Kirara out of her grasp.  
  
Inuyasha walked closer, and stopped just outside the stairs leading into the hut. They all looked at him questionably, but he shook his head. He headed inside, after Miroku had opened the door.  
  
Inuyasha sat down near on the mat that had been set up for Sango. Kagome still didn't move from his embrace.  
  
The other three soon came in, with Miroku still holding Shippo, who was desperately trying to leap at Kagome to find out what was wrong.  
  
"Inuyasha?" asked Sango.  
  
He made no answer. He just looked up at them, and mouthed the words, "Please... Don't be offened, but could you ... leave?"  
  
Miroku nodded. He helped Sango to her feet, and opened the door. He led her and Shippo out, and gave one last look at Kagome before closing the door behind him.  
  
Inuyasha looked back down at her. "Kagome...?" he whispered.  
  
"N..n..."  
  
His ear twitched. "You don't have to tell me now.." he said. "I'll wait...what's important is you right now, Kagome.."  
  
She looked away from his haori at last, and leaned her head against his chest, still crying but not as hysterically as before. "N..n...na..."  
  
Inuyasha looked down at her. "Kagome?"  
  
"Nar..nar.."  
  
Inuyasha tingled. Could it be..?  
  
"...Naraku..." she whispered.  
  
Inuyasha fumed on the inside. He remained come physically, for Kagome's sake, but his mind exploded.  
  
"Kagome.." he said lightly. "What did he do?"  
  
Kagome stared blankly ahead again. "He.. he.."  
  
"Kagome.. you don't have to tell me.."  
  
She shook her head. "I.. I have to.. " she whispered. She clutched him tightly, closing her eyes halfway, as if she was tired.  
  
Inuyasha hugged her more gently. "Kagome.." he whispered.  
  
Her mouth opened and shut, as if she was trying to find the right words. "He.. Naraku... he..." she said. "...he ... raped me..."  
  
Inuyasha's blood exploded. His mind was raging, all with hatred for the demon. He kept as still as possible for Kagome, but didn't know how much longer he'd last without killing the damn demon.  
  
All he did, was pull her closer and hug her tighter. "Kagome..." he whispered. "Stay like this as long as you want..."  
  
And she did. She didn't move from her position, and she eventually fell asleep that way, resting in the safety of the hanyou's arms.  
  
He was afraid to move, because he didn't want to wake her up. Soon, Inuyasha too fell asleep...  
  
+  
  
MD: review please ^-^ 


	2. chapter two

MysticalDreamer: **::**dodges all the random objects thrown at her**::** SORRY! I know it's been a while, so I'll make it short. I had troubles uploading and my computer was being stupid. The end. Here's the long awaited chapter two!

disclaimer: This one owns nothing

**chapter two**  
  
Inuyasha's eyes fluttered open, as the sun danced across his eyes. He yawned, and was about to stand before realizing something heavy was in his lap. He looked down to see Kagome, sleeping peacefully. Then everything of the previous day came back, and a low and dangerous growl emitted from his throat.  
  
Miroku opened an eye from across the room. "Awake?" he asked.  
  
Inuyasha simply nodded. "I am gonna kill that bastard..." he said in a low voice.  
  
Miroku raised an eyebrow. Inuyasha had forgotten; he still hadn't told Miroku or Sango what had happened. But he didn't intend too. That was going to be Kagome's decision, not his, and he would respect whatever she decided to do.  
  
Sango gave off a pleasant yawn, apparently from having a good night's sleep. She looked between Inuyasha and Miroku, blinking a few times to get the sleep out of her eye. "Good Morning..." she said lightly, stretching her arms.  
  
Miroku nodded, but Inuyasha said nothing.   
  
Kagome stirred in his arms, and he instantly looked down at her. Slowly, her eyes fluttered open, but her grip on Inuyasha's haori remained as tight as it had been since yesterday. She said nothing, except snuggle into his chest.  
  
At this, Miroku raised an eyebrow again, questioningly. Inuyasha shook his head, and simply sat there.   
  
Shippo shot up suddenly, startling Sango whom he was next to. She grinned, seeing his lazy eyes and patted his head. He yawned in a cute sort of way.  
  
"Inuyasha..." whispered Kagome.   
  
"You don't have to say anything..." he replied softly.  
  
"Something tells me I should get some water," said Miroku, standing up. "Care to join me? Sango? Shippo?" he asked, pulling Sango to her feet.  
  
Shippo mumbled something, and Miroku took this as a yes. He reached down and grabbed the kitsune by the tail, putting him on his shoulder. "We'll be back in a few minutes," said Miroku, opening the door and leading them out.  
  
"Inuyasha..." she whispered again.   
  
"You're safe Kagome..." he replied. "I will never let him near you again. I swear to the gods. I swear on my life."   
  
"Arigatou..." she whispered.  
  
I also swear.. I will kill him... I will kill that bastard if its the last thing I do... he thought as Kagome leaned in closer.  
  
"Inuyasha...?"  
  
"Eh?"  
  
"What do I do?" she whispered.   
  
Inuyasha sighed. "For now... nothing..."  
  
"Nothing...?" she said softly. "If only... it was my time..."  
  
Inuyasha rested his chin lightly on her head. "It's not... and I swear to you, that damned hanyou is as good as dead..."  
  
"Please... don't tell anyone, please?"   
  
"I won't. If that's what you want, I won't tell a soul. No one will ever know..."  
  
"Thank you..."  
  
They sat in silence after that, both unsure of what to say or do next.   
  
Kagome sighed. "I should... get up soon..." she said suddenly. "After all... if I don't get back to normal soon, people will ask things... Things I don't want to answer..."  
  
Inuyasha nodded. Slowly, Kagome slid off his lap and onto the solid ground. He got to his feet and held out his hand. "Wanna stand up?"   
  
She nodded, reached out and took it. He pulled her to her feet, and she shook a bit. After all, this was her first time standing in a couple hours. She got used to it a bit later, and walked around a bit.  
  
"I feel like making some ramen," she said. She walked over to her backpack and dug around for the noodle  
  
"You sure?"  
  
"Inuyasha," she said. "I just wanna get back to normal, and try to forget this ever happened. I want to erase it from my mind."  
  
Inuyasha sighed. "How can you forget something so horrible?" he asked.  
  
Kagome twitched a bit. "You think I want to remember?" she said. "You think I want to relive this? You think I want to announce to the world I was hurt and raped by the bastard Naraku?"  
  
"Kagome..."  
  
She broke out into tears again and sank to the floor. She hid her eyes, leaning her forehead on the ground. The tears flowed.  
  
Inuyasha dashed over and put his arm around her back softly. "Kagome..."  
  
"I can't report it..." she whispered. "I-I-"  
  
She jumped up and leaned into Inuyasha. She cried harder, and he let her stay there. He wrapped both arms around her back.  
  
"Inuyasha..." she whispered. "Please... don't ever leave me..."  
  
He hugged her tighter. "I'm not a bastard like that," he said. "I swear I will protect you. I will never let you get hurt again."  
  
She cried a bit more, and he let her sit there. He said nothing; he just let her cry her heart out once more. He didn't know what she had gone through, but he felt her pain, her hatred, her anger. He felt her sorrow.  
  
His ears twitched. He sniffed a bit, then lightly moved Kagome. "They're back," he whispered. "You say you don't want anyone to know, then get up or they will suspect something, no doubt."  
  
Kagome nodded and jumped to her feet. She wiped away her tears, and picked up a blanket to dry her face.   
  
"Get the ramen," he said.  
  
"Eh?"  
  
"Start cooking it or they'll think you were crying," he explained. "With the ramen, they just might think you burned your finger or something."  
  
She nodded and picked up the noodles she had dropped on the floor. She quickly set up the outdoor cooking thing she brought with her, and put the ramen on. Inuyasha walked over to the corner and sat down.  
  
The door opened, and in came Miroku, Sango and Shippo. And somehow, Miroku ended up carrying all the water.  
  
"Kagome-chan!" squealed Shippo. He zoomed over to her and hugged her.  
  
"Oi, Shippo-chan!" she grinned. "Excited to see me?"  
  
"Kagome! You were so sad yesterday!" he said, hugging her tightly.   
  
"It was nothing Shippo-chan," she said. She smiled brightly, but Inuyasha could see the hurt behind her happy face.  
  
"You sure?" he asked.  
  
"Positive," she smiled. "You want some ramen for breakfast?"  
  
"Ramen for breakfast, Kagome-sama?" asked Miroku, walking over. He looked at her eyes and could see the redness in her eyes.   
  
"I felt like something random!" she smiled. "You don't mind, do you?" she asked, looking around at everyone.  
  
"Feh," said Inuyasha.  
  
"I don't mind," said Sango. "It's an interesting change," she grinned.  
  
"Kagome-sama, forgive me if I sound rude, but," started Miroku. "Why are your eyes all red, pray tell?"  
  
"Oh!" she said, touching her face. "I spilt some hot water on my finger and it burnt a bit. That's all," she grinned.  
  
"Ahh... perhaps some cold water on it will help?" asked Miroku, a slight grin on his face.  
  
Two seconds later, he was soaking wet. Sango stood behind him as he twitched, holding an empty bucket.  
  
"She said _burnt_ not _burned_," she said angrily.  
  
Kagome laughed. She was feeling a little better. At least that's what she kept telling herself.   
  
From the corner, Inuyasha knew otherwise. She was still hurting, and would be for a long time. She couldn't hide these things from him.  
  
He knew.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Miroku sighed. He knew something was up. Kagome was not fine. She was troubled by something, something that only she and Inuyasha knew.  
  
And this troubled Miroku.  
  
He did not like to see a woman with too much on her mind. He sighed. "Kagome-sama.. what is ailing you?" he asked himself.  
  
"Houshi-sama?"  
  
"Eh?" he asked. He looked over to see Sango walking over towards him in his spot under the tree. "Sango!" he smiled.  
  
"Don't get any ideas, lech," she snapped.   
  
"Me?" he asked, looking bemused by the fact that she had accused him of lechery.  
  
She rolled her eyes and leaned on the tree. "We both know Inuyasha and Kagome-chan are lying," she said.  
  
"Ah... you've noticed too?" he asked, looking up at her.  
  
"That scream when she was bathing was no ordinary scream," said Sango. She looked at the sky. "I've heard Kagome-chan cry before, but never like this. When she came back in Inuyasha's arms like that, my heart fell."  
  
Miroku sighed. "I understand," he said. "Something is definitely being kept from us."  
  
"I can't stand to see Kagome-chan hurting like that. She always speaks her mind, and you can tell if there's something on her mind," said Sango. "At least, I can."  
  
"There could be a perfect reason for this secret," said Miroku. "However, they may not want to let us in on it for certain reasons."  
  
"Huh?"  
  
"What I mean is, " he started. "Perhaps that whatever happened to Kagome-sama is so horrendous, that they don't want to stir up memories."  
  
"If that's true," said Sango, sinking to the ground and hugging her knees. "I want to help."  
  
"The only way I can think to help her, is if we don't ask her about it."  
  
"What?"  
  
"I mean, let her come to us when she is ready. I do not wish to pry into her secrets. I'm a man of Buddha."  
  
Sango snorted. "Man of Buddha? Should be 'Man of the Hentai Buddha' is more like it," she said, sarcastically.  
  
"I am appalled, Sango-chan," said Miroku, looking a fake-ish hurt.  
  
Sango rolled her eyes. "Let's just drop the subject of who you work for, and focus on the problem at hand."  
  
"Indeed!" he replied brightly. "As I was saying..."  
  
"Poor Kagome-chan... something really horrible must have happened to her..." she whispered, hugging her knees tighter. "It's just... There's a look in her eyes... It's almost like... death or something awfully close."  
  
Miroku shook his head. "I noticed as well," he said. "I hate to say it, but I fear that whatever did happen to Kagome-sama will haunt her for the rest of her life. There's just this feeling you get around her at the moment... A feeling of some sort of pain..."  
  
"Arrgh!" shouted Sango, jumping to her feet. "I want to help Kagome-chan!!" she wailed. "I can't stand it!"  
  
Miroku sighed. "We can't do anything at the moment. We can't do anything until Kagome-sama is ready," he said.  
  
Sango calmed down a bit. "I know..." she said. "I know..." she sighed. "And that is what's driving me crazy..."

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Inuyasha stared at the moon. It was a full one tonight, and it lit up the whole night sky. He sat in his usual perch, up in a tree. He sighed.  
  
"One day.. one day, I will kill that bastard..." he said in a low and dangerous voice. His fists tightened. "He will pay..."  
  
"Inuyasha?"  
  
He looked down to see Kagome standing under the tree, with her arms behind her back. She smiled up at him.   
  
He leaped out of the tree to face her. "What's the matter?"   
  
"Nothing," she said softly. "It's just... Sota's birthday is in two days..."  
  
"Your little brother who calls me a hero?"  
  
"That's the one."   
  
"You wanna go back?"   
  
"I'd like to... for that and to just... get away from this era for a bit," said Kagome looking down. "It's not you..."  
  
"It's okay, Kagome," said Inuyasha. "I understand. Go back. I'll be here when you return, I promise. And if you need me..."  
  
Kagome nodded. "I know Inuyasha," she smiled. "I trust you."  
  
Inuyasha cracked a tiny smile. There weren't many people who said those words to him. He looked into Kagome's eyes. "Thank you."  
  
Kagome smiled a bit too, as best as she could. "I don't think... I'm going to say anything about this to anyone... Especially my mother..."  
  
Inuyasha nodded. "Understood. My mouth is shut," he said.  
  
Kagome didn't say anything; she appeared to be thinking. "Why don't... you come in two days... On Sota's birthday."  
  
Inuyasha raised an eyebrow. "You want me to come?"  
  
Kagome nodded twice. "It would make Sota happy... and I want you there. There's going to be so many people enjoying themselves, and I don't wanna snap and burst into tears..."  
  
Inuyasha nodded once. "I'll be there," he said. "I won't let you down."  
  
She smiled at him again. "I know you won't," she leaned in and gave him a quick hug. "I should get back inside now. You're going to stay out here?"  
  
Inuyasha nodded. "I'd feel better out here," he said. "G'night."  
  
"'Night..." she said, turning around and walking back to the hut. He watched her retreating back, sensing the aura of sorrow and despair around her form. And he felt as if he could do nothing to soothe her pain.

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

"Whaaaat?" asked Shippo, looking up at Kagome with large eyes. "You're leaving?"  
  
She nodded. "Sota's birthday is coming up," she explained. "And I want to be there. Inuyasha will be coming with me, but not for a day or two."  
  
"Wish your brother a happy birthday," said Sango warmly, the smile hiding hurt of her own. "From all of us."  
  
Kagome nodded. "Of course!" she said. "He'll be happy to hear it. It would be great if you guys could come too, but I dunno what my mom would say..."  
  
"It's all right, Kagome-chan," said Sango. "Don't worry about it."  
  
"Shippo-chan," said Kagome, picking up the kitsune. "You are in charge of Miroku-sama, got it?"  
  
Shippo nodded and saluted proudly. "You can count on me!"  
  
"Am I not trusted at all?" groaned Miroku, shaking his head.  
  
"When you learn to control that hand, then maybe," commented Inuyasha monotonously, carelessly. Kagome grinned.   
  
In a little bit, Kagome had gathered all her things and was ready to travel to her other home. "Now guys, it will only be for a few days..." she said. "I promise I'll be back as soon as I can!"  
  
"Don't worry about it, Kagome-chan," said Sango. "You've been here for some time now. I'm sure your family is missing you."  
  
"Oh, Sango," sighed Kagome.  
  
She smiled. "Don't worry. I know what happened. I may not be over it, but I'm okay. Just go enjoy your brother's birthday."  
  
Kagome smiled, a fake smile, but it was believed by everyone. Except for InuYasha. He knew, but said nothing. "Well then, I guess I'll head back now."  
  
"Take care, Kagome-sama," said Miroku, bowing his head lightly. He muttered a small Buddhist prayer as well. Shippo gave his adoptive mother a quick hug before leaping onto Miroku's shoulder once more.  
  
Then she was off, heading back to Kaede's village with InuYasha. They walked on in silence, sharing the dark secret between them.  
  
After about a half an hour, Kagome had gotten onto InuYasha's back like she always had, and they picked up speed as they traveled on. Using this method of transportation, it only took them another twenty minutes to arrive at the village.  
  
"Kagome my child?" came the elderly voice of Kaede. "Are ye back already?"  
  
"Hello Kaede-san," smiled Kagome. "I'm back, but I'm going home for a little bit. My brother's birthday is coming up..."  
  
"Ah, yes," said Kaede, nodding her head in understandment. "Give the little one my best wishes."  
  
"Of course!" grinned the young girl. But it was still the fake grin that she kept plastered to her face, trying to pretend everything was fine. "I have to go though. I'll see you in a few days..."  
  
"Good day, Kagome," said Kaede, waving as she and Inuyasha headed towards the well. Kagome walked a bit fast and paced herself somewhat in front of him.  
  
The day was still bright, and the wind played with their hair, making it dance around them gracefully. Despite the cheeriness of the day, the aura of despair surrounded the duo. Upon nearing the well, Kagome stopped.  
  
"Kagome?" asked Inuyasha, a bit concerned.  
  
He heard a small sniffle and a squeak, before she sank to her knees. He was at her side in two seconds flat, with his hands on her shoulders, staring into her deep brown eyes, full of sadness, that splurted out crystalline tears.  
  
"Inuyasha..." she whispered, leaning into him. "I don't know how long I can hold up... It's... it's tearing me apart..."  
  
Inuyasha wrapped his arms around her softly, and pulled her closer. He rested his head lightly on her's and tried to stay calm, for her sake.  
  
"Over and over..." she said in a voice, barely a whisper. "I keep seeing him... He covers my mouth... He... Oh gods..."  
  
"Don't speak," he said softly. "Reliving this through words just makes it harder..."  
  
"Goddammit Inuyasha..." she whispered. She clutched his haori tightly in her hands. "It's a never ending nightmare... and it's barely... even a day..."  
  
Inuyasha didn't know what to say. He found himself rocking her softly back and forth, trying to calm her down. He felt her slowly regaining some strength, so he continued in his rocking.  
  
"What... what am I going to do...?"   
  
"Kagome..." he said in a soft voice. "I don't know what to say to comfort you. All I can think of doing is to hold you... like this. I am always here for you..."  
  
"Thank you... Inuyasha..." she whispered.   
  
"And I promise you..." said Inuyasha, sounding slightly more angered than before. "I will end the life of that bastard hanyou. He will... he will pay for what he has done..."  
  
Kagome's tears began to slow down. She nodded solemnly, wanting Naraku to die just as much as he did. "I... hate... killing..."  
  
"I don't care..." whispered Inuyasha. "I want to kill him. And I will."  
  
"I hate killing..." she said again. "But... I want... Naraku to die..."  
  
Inuyasha held her tighter. She was never going to forget this, even if Naraku did die. But perhaps his death would ease her pain. And that was why he vowed to kill the demon, no matter how long or how hard it was.  
  
"Inuyasha..." she whispered. "Come with me to my time..."  
  
"Eh?"  
  
She tilted her head slightly to the side. "I don't think... I can handle it on my own..."   
  
Inuyasha sighed. "What about your family?" he asked.  
  
"They love you," she said with a small laugh. "And you know Sota will be thrilled to see you..."  
  
Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "Don't remind me," he grumbled, making Kagome laugh a little again. He grinned. "See? A laugh," he said warmly. "Seeing your family will bring up your spirits. Having me around might remind you of ... everything."  
  
Kagome sighed. "I guess..."   
  
He lifted his head and looked her in the eyes. "I'll be here for you," he said. "How about I come tomorrow instead of two days from now?"  
  
She nodded. "That would be better," she said.  
  
"A day without the Sengoku-jidai will be best," said Inuyasha. "So I want you to go home, and don't give it one thought."  
  
She nodded again. "You promise you'll come tomorrow though?" she asked, with pleading, hopeful eyes.  
  
He nodded to her. "You have my word," he said. "Now go back to your era and have a good time. You can even tell Sota I said hello. Seeing him bounce around should bring up your spirits too."  
  
She smiled. "Thank you," she said warmly. "Thank you so much, Inuyasha..."  
  
He rested his head on her's once more.   
  
"If it wasn't for you..." she whispered. "I think... I think I might die... Because it's so hard... hard to be strong..."  
  
"Kagome..."  
  
She sniffed. "You're like... my source of strength, Inuyasha..." she whispered into his haori.   
  
He felt a pang go through him. He wasn't quite sure what it was, but it seemed to open something up inside him. He put a hand on the back of her head.   
  
A few minutes passed in silence, before Kagome stirred. He looked at her as she pushed him away slightly.   
  
"Eh?"  
  
"I think I should head off now," she said, stumbling to her feet. Inuyasha followed suit and helped her up, getting to his feet before she did.  
  
"Take care of yourself," said Inuyasha, not wanting to let her go. His claws slowly peeled away from her arm as she took a step towards the well.  
  
"I'll see you tomorrow..." she said lightly, pulling her legs over the side of the well. He could only nod, as words failed to come to his mouth. She smiled a tiny grin at him, before vanishing down the well.  
  
A minute or so passed, and Inuyasha found himself clutching his fists tightly. "How can she say that..." he said angrily to himself. "How can I be her source of strength?"  
  
He fell to his knees and punched the ground, making a small dent. "After everything I've done to her... and I, the hanyou Inuyasha, am _her_ source of strength?"  
  
He look at the crystal blue skies, feeling the wind once again toy with his hair. "Kagome..." he whispered. "If only you knew... You are _my _source of strength..."

::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

MD: Tis all **::**runs away**:: **No, I'm kidding. Once again, I'm sorry for the super long wait... My computer crashing and dying didn't really help either. It's not completely my fault! Anyway, hope you enjoyed this chapter.

Thank you all my reviewers! I love you all!


	3. chapter three

**MysticalDreamer**: Alo again all. And I must say this update was much much faster than the other. Didn't get as many reviews, but I can deal with that. Enjoy!

**chapter three**

Miroku and Shippo stared at Sango, as she sat still with her eyes closed. Kirara sat in her lap, and she pet the cat demon mindlessly.

"Sango-chan...?" asked Miroku.

"Must you call me that?" she replied dully.

"Ah, so you are awake."

She opened one eye and looked at the monk. "How can I be sleeping and petting Kirara at the same time, Houshi-sama?" she asked, before closing her eye again.

"True, true..." said Miroku, sitting down cross legged near her. Shippo bounced off his shoulder and onto the ground.

"We didn't know what you were doing," explained Shippo.

"I was thinking," she said.

Miroku sighed. "I figured out that much of it," he said.

Sango opened both of her eyes. "Something is wrong," she said.

"Hm?" asked Miroku.

"Inuyasha didn't throw a fit at Kagome's leaving," explained Sango. "Not only that, but he willingly took her back to Kaede's village."

"I must say, I understand what you mean," said Miroku. "Inuyasha should have a bruised face from many Sits."

Shippo nodded furiously. "I kept waiting for Inuyasha to explode and for Kagome to sit him a lot," he said. "But it never happened."

Miroku narrowed his eyes a bit. "Ne, Shippo," he said. Shippo looked at the monk. "Will you go fetch some water?"

"Whaaat?" asked Shippo, sounding annoyed. "You want it, you get it!"

Miroku sighed. "I wish to speak with Sango," he said. "And I'd like you to get some water. You needn't worry, Shippo; This is serious."

Shippo sighed. "Fine..." he said. "But if I hear a scream, it's Shippo-chan to the rescue! Don't worry, Sango!"

She smiled at the kitsune. "Thank you Shippo," she said warmly. He grinned, gave the victory sign and bounced away.

"Now," said Miroku, "We come to the serious matter I wished to speak of."

Sango raised an eyebrow. "And that is?" she inquired.

"First, there was that whole Kagome screaming thing," he explained. "Which I might add, seemed extremely serious. Yet neither Kagome-sama or Inuyasha said anything about it to us."

"I was curious about it," said Sango. "After all, Kagome wouldn't turn so white and gastly like that for something insignificant."

"Exactly," said Miroku. "And then, Kagome-sama is completely fine. Adding to that, she goes home and Inuyasha does nothing. As a matter of fact, he's going to go with her in a few days time!"

Sango sighed and interlocked her fingers, staring down at them. "I know what hidden pain looks like," she said. "And I can see it deep within Kagome-chan's eyes," she said in a solemn voice.

Miroku could only sigh as he leaned back on one hand, looking upward at the cloudless skies.

"My own eyes were the same," said Sango, "After I witnessed everyone in my family die... right before my eyes. They held a despair so deep, that when it finally came out, all I wanted to do was cry for eternity..."

Miroku shifted his gaze towards Sango, slightly suprised to hear her words. "Sango..." he said softly.

"But," said Sango, "If this is what Kagome-chan wants, I will respect that, and let her be... I just want her to know that I am here for her, just as she was here for me..."

Miroku smiled. "You must tell her that upon her return," he said. "If what you say is true about her hidden despair, then those words will bring her the upmost comfort."

She looked at him and grinned. "That I will," she said. Another breeze blew across the Sengoku jidai, dancing with the grass and lose garments of the people.

It was a beautiful moment...

"HENTAI!" shouted Sango angrily, followed by a very loud thwap. Two seconds later, Shippo came flying out of the woods.

XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD

Kagome pulled herself out of the well and took a deep breath. She walked towards the doors and pulled them open, letting the crisp Tokyo air glaze her face. She walked down the stairs one at a time, reaching the ground and putting her feet firmly still.

"This is good..." she whispered.

She put on her best smile and took in a deep breath. She walked quickly, until she reached a slight jog, as she headed for her house. "Mom! Sota! Grandpa!" she shouted cheerfully. "Tadaimaaa!"

The door flung open, and there was Sota. "Kagome!" he shouted. "You did come back for my birthday!"

She smiled warmly at her brother. "Of course!" she said. "Did you think I'd forget? Don't be silly, Sota."

He lost his little man cool and hugged his sister tightly. He pushed her away and gave her a questioning look.

"What is it, Sota?" she asked curiously.

"Is Inuyasha coming?" he asked in a small voice, as if afraid of her reaction.

She thought about it. Should she suprise him or let him know? "I'm not sure," she said. "I said it was your birthday though, so maybe he will show up."

Sota grinned. "I hope so! A birthday isn't a birthday without your hero!"

Kagome laughed as Sota turned around and dashed inside, gabbering on about Inuyasha or something. She followed him at a quickened pace and entered her house.

"Kagome!" said her mother. She ran over and hugged her daughter. "You've been in the Sengoku jidai for so long this time; we didn't know when you'd come back."

"I'm so sorry, Mom," said Kagome, pushing her mother away lightly. "Things have been... kinda hectic these past couple days."

"Ah, I see," said Mrs. Higurashi, with a nod. "Well, I'm so happy you're back now. We've missed you so much, especially Sota."

Kagome smiled. "I'm sorry," she said. "I'm gonna disappear for a few more minutes though, as I really need a nice warm bath."

Mrs. Higurashi laughed warmly. "Of course!" she said. "I'll have some food for you when you're done."

"Thanks," she said, before walking up the stairs to her room. She opened the door and stared inside, as a light wind from the open window made her curtains dance.

Her smile faded as her eyes wandered around the room. It looked so innocent. So pure. And at the moment, she felt isolated in her own room, as if it was mocking her entrance into the tidy walls.

She took a step forward and dropped her bag on the floor. She made the way to her bed and fell onto it without hesitation. It felt so nice to be in her bed again, after so long. But what she wanted more than a nap right now, was a long, hot bath. She grabbed a robe from her closet and made her way to the bathroom.

Kagome sat on the edge of the tub, and turned on the hot water, watching it fill its way to the top. When it was complete, she turned it off. She ran a finger across the top of the water, setting off a small ripple effect. She put the robe on the nearby sink and pulled off her socks. She sat still for a moment, before purposely falling off the side and into the water, uniform and all. She let herself go under, and felt the hot liquid stinging her every injury and open cut. The motions of the underwater waves played with her hair, sending it out in all directions.

She opened her eyes to a blurry vision. It stung a little, but she kept them open. A strand of raven hair crossed in front of her face. She could feel all lose ends of her clothes moving around in the water.

Feeling a lack of air, she pulled herself above the water and took a deep breath. A drop of water rolled down her cheek from her eye; She wasn't sure whether it was the hot water from the bath, or another hot tear escaping her.

Her dark hair clung to her head as she pulled her hands out of the water, sending off some splashes. The water from her palms dripped into the tub, sending off the tiny ripples once more. She fell backward and leaned against the back of the bathtub, letting her entire body being consumed by the water, except her head.

Her mind both wandered between thoughts and remained empty. "Home..." she whispered, sending bubbles to from her lips.

Kagome had lost track of time, just soaking in the hot water. There was a faint knock on the door, which brought her crashing back into reality.

"Ye-yes?" she asked, afraid of who it was.

"Kagome?" asked her mother. "You've been in there for an hour, are you all right?"

She pulled herself up so she was sitting in the water. "I'm fine mom," she said. "I'm getting out now."

"All right. I was just checking on you, sweetie," said Mrs. Higurashi.

"Sorry I worried you, mom," said Kagome, standing up in the tub, sending water splashing down from her clothes.

"Ok... See you downstairs," said her mother.

Kagome listened as her mother's footsteps headed down the hall, then down the stairs. When she heard no sounds anymore, she sighed. A strand of black hair went down the middle of her face and she carelessly pushed it aside. She snatched a towel and wrapped her hair up inside it.

She reached down, and began to let the water out of the tub. It drained around her ankles and she snatched another towel to dry herself down. "Better hurry..." she told herself. "I don't want mom to worry anymore than she already is..."

Within five minutes, she wrapped herself in the robe and was completely dry. She took the towel off her hair, and exited the bathroom, headed for her bedroom.

Once inside, she threw on a loose teeshirt and the most comfortable pants she owned. She ran a brush through her hair and tied it back loosely, just to get it out of her face. She drew in her breath, and headed downstairs, plastering a fake smile on her face.

XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD

"Two days!" shouted Sota randomly, later as the family of four sat in the living room. Kagome jumped a little, but no one noticed.

"We know Sota," said Mrs. Higurashi. "You've been telling us all day long."

"I'm happy though!" he said. "Hey Kagome, didn't you say Inuyasha was coming?"

"Huh? Oh, yes," she said. "I think so anyway."

"Yahoo!" shouted her little brother, leaping out of his chair and doing a little dance. Kagome laughed at him, in a sisterly way. "You laughing at me, Kagome?" he asked, crossing his arms and glaring at her with a tiny grin.

"No," she said sarcastically. "Of course not."

She ducked as a pillow came flying in her direction, thrown by none other than Sota. They both erupted in laughter, and for a moment she had forgotten about the past.

"Mom, is it all right if me and my friends play around the shrine?" he asked. "Not in it, but run around outside?"

"I suppose so," she said. "But make sure you're careful. I don't want any injuries while you're enjoying yourselves."

Kagome froze.

Injuries while you're enjoying yourselves.

She closed her eyes tightly and drew in her breath. This caught the attention of her mother, who looked at her daughter curiously, but said nothing.

"I'm a little tired..." she said, stumbling to her feet. "I think I'll head it early. And you don't mind if I sleep in, do you?"

"Of course not," said her mother. "No school tomorrow, or for the next three days. Sleep as late as you want."

Kagome smiled. "Thanks, mom," she said. She bowed a small goodnight and headed upstairs. She reached the top, and looked back down, hearing her mother's gentle laughter, not doubt at something Sota had done. "Thanks mom..." she whispered. "You always seem to know just what to say..."

She walked in her room and closed the door gently behind her. A faint breeze came through the window, dancing with her curtains. She stumbled to her bed and collapsed on the sheets, burying her face in her pillow. Her face was emotionless, but silent tears poured down her face as she layed in the darkened room.

All she kept seeing was those haunting eyes, staring at her with a sinister glint. She felt a cold hand covering her mouth, preventing any words from escaping. She shot up and nearly screamed, before biting her lip to stop herself. She didn't want her family to worry. They were so happy right now, and they didn't deserve to be brought down by her.

She fell backward onto her bed and stared at the ceiling, hearing the city-night noises from outside her open window. She held her hand up in the air and stared at it, following its shape and all the turns.

She rolled over onto her side and closed her eyes, trying to sleep. It was proving somewhat difficult, as each time she drew near to slumber, there it was - his sinister face, laughing in her own. Each time she saw it, she nearly jumped out of her skin.

She glanced at her clock and inwardly groaned. It was nearly two now, and she hadn't gotten a wink of sleep. Her house was full of an eerie silence, and she suddenly wished she was back in the Sengoku jidai, being watched over by him, her doggy eared hanyou. She couldn't wait till the morrow, when he would be there, watching over her once again.

The next time she looked to the clock, it was just about three thirty. She pounded her fist onto her pillow. "Dammit..." she whispered.

Little did she know, just outside her window, a very protective hanyou watched through the open window, ready to leap in at the slightest hint of need.

XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD

Kagome nearly jumped out of her skin as an airplane flew by with a very loud engine, right over her house. She sat up and clutched her chest, before calming down. "Stupid plane..." she grumbled as she yawned.

She glanced at her alarm clock. It was just about noon. "Waah!" she squeaked, throwing off her blankets and scrambling out of bed. "Guess I fell asleep last night at some point..." she told her self as she pulled out a pair of loose jeans and a dark blue tee shirt, throwing them carelessly on herself after stripping of the pajamas.

She made a pit stop at the bathroom to brush her teeth, before dashing down the stairs at top speed. "Sorry!" she said, skidding to a halt in the kitchen. "I guess I overslept."

"No worries," grinned Mrs. Higurashi, closing the fridge with the milk in her hand. "I'm going to make Sota's cake now."

"He wouldn't stop nagging, would he?"

"How'd you ever guess?" she laughed. "He's playing a video game right now, I believe. And grandpa's in the shrine, as usual. You seemed a bit out of it last night, so I thought I'd let you sleep in."

She smiled at her mother. "Thanks mom," she said. "I really did need the sleep."

"No problem," she said. "What are you up to today? Going to hang out with your friends?"

She shook her head. "Maybe tomorrow, but I want to just hang out for today. I miss being home, you know."

"Of course!"

For an unknown reason to her mother, Kagome walked forward and wrapped her arms around her, hugging her tightly. She was a bit shocked at this sudden burst of affection, but just smiled warmly as she embraced her daughter. Motherly instinct told her something was troubling her child, but she said nothing to her offspring. She'd allow her to come to her mother on her own.

"I love you mom," whispered Kagome, as she let go of her mother and backed out of the kitchen. She headed to the living room and clicked on the TV before mindlessly flipping through the channels.

Click. Click. Click.

Every channel was just a blurr. For all she knew, there could be nude people dancing in a forrest on the tube. Pushing the button repeatedly just seemed like the natural thing to do at the moment.

When her finger started to feel numb, she dropped the remote on the floor and stared at the TV. It was some cartoon and she didn't even try to figure out what was going on. Every part inside of her was screaming, but her body image said otherwise. She was completely blank. At a quick glance, one might think she was in a trance of some sort.

Some time later, she slapped her own face to wake herself up. "Don't be like this," she said to herself, getting to her feet quickly.

She left the living room and headed outside, bathing in the bright sun. She allowed a breeze to play with her hair, sending it in all directions. It was a very nice day, and she would not allow her mood to ruin it.

She walked around the shrine grounds for a while, killing off some time. She heard her grandfather mumbling some chant from the storage shed and had to laugh at his actions. He was always like that; He'd never change.

She sat on the stairs and looked down, watching the street below and the people that walked by, either chattering to a friend or daydreaming on their own. The day seemed just so perfect. Kagome wanted it to end for a brief moment, before realizing her thoughts and smacking herself over the back of the head. "It's just me..." she whispered.

When her stomach rumbled, she laughed at herself before standing up and heading back inside for some lunch or something. Her mother was no longer in the kitchen when she got there, so she just grabbed some ramen. She waited as it cooked, taking a long look at everything around her in the room. When it finally finished, she grabbed some chopsticks and headed back outside. Being outdoors in the Sengoku jidai so much sort of had this effect on her. She had become an outdoor person, wanting to be outside more often than in. She grinned as she sat once again on the stairs and waited for her ramen to cool down a little, before slowly eating two or three noodles at a time.

"How dare you eat ramen without me."

She slowly turned around and her face lit up. There he was, decked out in that ever familiar red haori, silver/white hair basking in the sun. She smiled happily when she saw him. "You did come," she said, patting the ground beside her for him to sit.

He nodded and placed himself next to her. "Of course I did," he said, stealing the chopsticks from her and eating some of her noodles.

She laughed when a noodle flew up and hit his face. She picked it off and put it back in the cup. "You never change," she said.

"And you thought I would?" he asked, giving back the lunch to its owner. They sat in silence for a good ten minutes, simply content sitting still where they were. "Hey," he said suddenly in a low voice. "You okay?"

She nodded once, but slowly. "I have to be..." she said, also lowly, folding her hands in her lap. "Being around my family has cheered me up, and it's been great."

Inuyasha nodded at her. "Everyone is worried about you," he said, staring straight ahead. "They think something is wrong."

"I don't know...what I want to do with that," she said. "I don't know if I should tell them or not."

"It's your choice," he said simply. "Whatever you decide, I'll respect it. But you know, I am going to kill him. The bastard'll die by my hands."

There was another few minutes of silence, before she leaned into his shoulder and closed her eyes halfway. "I'm so glad you're here," she said softly.

Without thinking, Inuyasha found his hand making its way around her's and clutching it tightly. "Where else would I be?" he said back to her.

"Stay around," she said. "I'm sure Sota would be happy to let you stay in his room for a few days."

He grumbled. "He better not make me take a bath again..."

She laughed at the thought and looked up at him. "Don't worry," she said. "He's been on his biggest video game kick these past few days. He'll get you pushing random buttons on a controller for hours."

Inuyasha blinked at her in confusion. "And a video game is?"

She laughed again. "You'll see soon," she said, flipping their hands and looking at her own on top of his. "Just promise you'll stay."

"Promise."

"Thank you," she said, allowing their hands to fall to the ground. Once again, silence filled the air. This time it didn't seem to have an end. They simply sat there in the afternoon sun, with the occasional light breeze frolicking in the air around them. It really was the perfect day.

And yet it was not.

XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD

**MD**: Meh, that's chapter three... Kinda just another filler chapter but whatever. Chapter four will probably skip some time and all... Psh, why I am saying this? Come back and read more! ::smile::


	4. chapter four

**MysticalDreamer**: Alo. Time for chapter four. . It took a bit longer than I hoped to get it posted, but whateverness. Here it is.

disclaimer: I do not own InuYasha. I do own an InuYasha plushie though! ::Hugs her plushie tightly::

**chapter four**

"Inuyasha!!"

The dog ears on the hanyou's head twitched upon hearing his name shouted. He also nearly jumped out of his skin, and pulled his hand from Kagome's. She too scooted away.

"You really did come!" shouted Sota cheerfully, skipping around and hopping to a stop in front of his idol. "This is so awesome!"

"Yeah..." was the only reply.

Kagome stifled a laugh as she rose to her feet. "You know Sota," she said to her brother, "You can't have all your friends pestering him while he's here."

He nodded. "Of course!" he said. "Inuyasha is a secret of the Higurashi shrine! I won't tell a soul!"

The so called secret of the Higurashi shrine was somewhat doubting this oath, but the time traveling miko just laughed. "We're counting on you, Sota," she said.

He saluted the two of them. "I won't let ya down!" he said, bowing his head then taking off somewhere.

"I swear, that kid is gonna kill me one day..." said Inuyasha, half to himself and half out loud to Kagome.

She laughed again and sat back down next to him. "The great Inuyasha dying of fright? Now _that_ I'd like to see."

He grinned. "You're laughing. And not a fake laugh, either," he said. He put his hand on the ground and it landed on hers. "I wondered when I'd hear you laugh like that again."

She smiled at him. "Thank you," she whispered. He only nodded at her as a light breeze picked up and danced playfully with their hair.

Peeking out through the kitchen window, Mrs. Higurashi smiled warmly at her daughter, before turning back to cooking the meal at hand.

XD XD XD XD XD XD

Inuyasha's ear twitched. The racket from downstairs was more than he imagined. He could barely make out more than a word of what they were saying. "Is this normal?" he asked, taking a glance at Kagome.

She laughed as she fluffed a pillow carelessly, before tossing it back on her bed. "You mean the constant chatter of the midgets downstairs?" she asked.

Inuyasha could only nod.

She laughed again. "They're midgets downstairs," she said with a shrug. "All they do is talk nonstop. Even my mom has a hard time understanding them."

"Right," he said, plopping down and sitting in his usual way - cross legged with his arms crossed.

"Don't worry," she said, sitting down on her bed with a bounce. "You'll either get used to it, or just tune it out. Trust me."

Inuyasha rolled his eyes. "I really don't know how you manage to live with that," he said. "I've seen and heard some annoying stuff in my time, but these 'midgets downstairs' as you've dubbed 'em are reeeeeally annoying."

"Aw, come on," laughed Kagome. "Don't say that about your _follower_."

"Don't remind me."

It grew quiet after that, the noise of the so called midgets downstairs slowly dissipating over time, both of them developing a deafness towards it. A light breeze danced around her room, playing with hair and loose pieces of clothing.

"Why..."

Inuyasha's ears perked up, just barely catching the word whispered from Kagome's mouth. He watched her carefully, his heart aching at the silent tears she cried; the hidden grief she kept inside. He rose to his feet silently and sat slightly behind her, wrapping his arms around her tightly.

She jumped a bit in surprise at his sudden action, but relaxed into his arms. She clutched his arms wrapped around her tightly, closing her eyes to keep in the tears. A combination of comfort and despair filled the aura of the room, both sitting in silence.

"I know I look all right," whispered Kagome softly, just loud enough for Inuyasha's ears to pick up, "But I'm not. I can't stop screaming inside. My eyes won't stop crying. If I stop, it gets too quiet. And then I am haunted..."

He tightened his embrace on her, resting his chin on her head and closing his eyes partway. She relaxed a bit more.

"All I do is smile," she continued. "Smiling, smiling, smiling. Laughing and giggling. Cheerful as ever. But what I want to do is scream. I want to scream like there's no tomorrow. I want to cry so it floods the entire world. And then, I'm empty. As I lay down and try to sleep, vacancy dances all around me."

"I hate seeing you like this," said Inuyasha, putting his head down near her own and resting his chin on her shoulder now. "All I see is this gloomy, depressed and angry aura constantly around you. I hate it."

"Inuyasha..."

He tightened his grip yet again. "I have no idea what to do," he said, "But there is one thing I know I _can _do. I can stay right here, and never let you go again..."

Warm water escaped Kagome's eyes, a mixture of both joy and sorrow at his words. "Oh, Inuyasha..." she whispered, whirling around and throwing her arms around him in a tight embrace. She continued to cry as he rewrapped his own arms around her back, pulling her closer.

"I will _never_ let you go..." he whispered into her hair. She nodded into his chest, gripping his haori tightly.

"I want to forget," she said into his shirt, just loud enough for him to hear. "Let me forget. Never... mention it. Don't say anything. I want to erase it from my mind."

"Kagome...?"

She shook her head in his shirt, then looked up at him. "Please, Inuyasha," she said, staring at him with a pleading look to her eyes. "Don't ever say anything about this again. Only I will be the one to bring it up."

"Are you... sure?" he asked softly, wondering if this was the best for her.

She nodded. "I just can't deal with it," she said. "Maybe I sound like I'm wallowing in self-pity, but dammit! I know I am! I am wallowing in self-pity!"

Inuyasha could only tighten his embrace around her as she cried and cried, soaking his haori to his skin. She clutched him tightly, unwilling to let go. He remained still and silent for while. Slowly, Kagome began to drift into a deep sleep, and he dared not disturb her. God knows she needed it now.

He stared at her sleeping form. Her face slightly twisted with a mixture of agony and defeat, as well as a struggle for optimistic composure. His heart sank even more.

_I am going to kill that bastard..._ he thought to himself. _I swear I will tear that damned hanyou to pieces and slice up every last bit of him... I will avenge Kagome's suffering... Naraku will _die

XD XD XD XD XD XD XD XD

Kagome's eyes fluttered open and she found herself in something warm. She blinked a few times to adjust to the light of the room. She looked around, only to find herself sleeping in Inuyasha's arms. He too, had fallen asleep as well and she gave off a small laugh. She wanted to poke his ears at the moment; they were just too cute.

She relaxed a bit and leaned her head against his shoulder, vaguely wondering what he was thinking about. He barely every slept when someone else was awake. _Then again_, she thought, _he must have fallen asleep long after I did._

Her eyes wandered to the alarm clock near her bed and she yawned. It was nearing five o'clock already. Her mother would probably serve dinner soon, as all the little friends of Sota were heading back to their own homes around seven or eight.

She poked Inuyasha in the cheek and he stirred slightly. She giggled and poked him again. This time his left ear twitched and she grinned. She was having so much fun with this!

Kagome reached up and tugged at both of this ears. This time, the hanyou's amber eyes snapped open and he stared at her, blinking a few times. He looked at her with a questioning look in his eyes.

"Good, er, afternoon?" she asked, grinning slightly.

"Feh..."

She laughed and leaned back into his shoulder. "Thanks for coming," she said softly.

"Stop thanking me," he said. "I would have came even if you didn't ask me too."

"I know that," she laughed. "You always do."

He shrugged and leaned against the wall her bed was along. "How long you gonna stay like this?" he asked.

"Why? Want me to get off?"

"I don't freak'n care," he said, averting Kagome's gaze. "But I swear to Gods if your mother walks in here and sees us, she's gonna start babbling on about who knows what for hours..."

Kagome laughed. "I suppose you're right," she said. She stumbled out of his lap and sat next to him on the bed. "Better?"

He shrugged again. "Like I said, I don't care."

She sighed. "Suuure," she said. "If you didn't care, you wouldn't be here. That's enough for me."

He felt a light heat raise from his cheeks, but he ignored it. He crossed his arms and feh'd, silence filling the room soon after.

About five minutes passed by when someone knocked at the door. "Kagome?" came the soft and calm voice of her mother. "Can I come in?"

Kagome skidded to the edge of the bed to further draw away suspicions. "Of course!" she called back. She snuck a glance at Inuyasha, only to see his eyes closed and his arms crossed in that infamous seated position of his.

The door opened and Mrs. Higurashi walked in with a smile on her face. "Dinner's ready now," she said. "Would you like to eat up here?"

She nodded. "That'd be nice," she said. She hopped to her feet and walked towards her mother. "I'll help bring it up."

Her mother nodded and walked out of the room, with Kagome at her heals. The young miko stole another glance at the hanyou sitting on her bed, only to find his eyes were still closed tightly. She felt a faint smile creeping onto her lips, and she knew this time, it wasn't forced. She skipped after her mother down the hall.

They walked into the kitchen, ignoring the chatter and babble of Sota and his friends from the living room. Kagome knew that as much as her mother loved her brother, she was dreading the cleaning patrol when the party was over.

As she put food on plates for the two of them, Kagome smiled and said, "I'll help with the clean up, Mama."

Her mother turned to her and smiled warmly. "Oh, don't worry about it. I'm sure it won't be too bad."

Kagome shook her head. "I want to help. And I will," she said, determined. She knew it could also help take her mind off things, and that was something she really wanted. And at the moment, she had absolutely no idea why she was feeling so peppy. Barely a half an hour ago she was hysterical. She wondered briefly if she'd gone schizophrenic without realizing.

Mrs. Higurashi smiled. "All right then," she said. "But let's worry about that after this party is over, okay?"

"Sounds good to me," said Kagome, taking a dish from her mother. They stood in silence as the second meal was prepared, before heading back upstairs. Just outside the door, mother turned to daughter and looked her straight in the eye.

"I'm here for you," she said simply. Kagome blinked as her mother pulled open the door and walked inside, startling Inuyasha, who was poking at the radio on the desk. He leapt back onto the bed as Mrs. Higurashi placed a plate of food on the floor.

On her way out, she smiled warmly at her daughter placing one hand on her shoulder. "I love you, Kagome," she said softly, before vanishing down the hall.

Kagome stood still for a second, a faint smile twisting on her lips. She closed the door behind her and sat down, across from Inuyasha who had already started to eat his food.

He looked up at her and touched her cheek. "Why are you crying?" he asked, voice full of concern.

For the first time she entered the room, she noticed that tears were falling again. She lightly brushed some of the salty water off her face before it crept into her mouth and started to laugh a bit. Inuyasha raised a curious eyebrow.

"She won't say anything... She won't bug me... But deep down, she knows something is wrong..." she whispered.

Inuyasha forgot there was food in front of him and stared at her, wondering what she was talking about.

"Oh, mama..." she whispered. "Thank you so much..."

Inuyasha hopped to his feet and appeared behind her, wrapping his arms around her slender figure. He understood now, what she had been talking about. The fact that her mother was so aware of Kagome's true emotions cheered Inuyasha up a bit as well, knowing that someone else would be there for Kagome if for some reason, he couldn't. "Your mother loves you so much," he said softly. "Keep that in mind, and it will chase everything away. I promise."

She nodded and felt a smile forming on her face. "It'll be all right," she said, resting her hands on his arms. "Time doesn't stop..."

"No. It doesn't."

"I won't let it tear me apart anymore."

"Neither will I."

"It's just another reason he has to die."

"Damn straight."

"I'm not gonna let it run my life."

"You better not."

She turned around and faced him, looking at him with yearning in her eyes. "But you won't let me be alone, will you?"

"How many times do I have to tell you?" he asked, shaking his head. "I'll always be here. Never doubt that."

She smiled and leaned in closer, hugging him tightly. And without hesitation, he hugged her back.

The food on the floor lay forgotten.

XD XD XD XD XD XD

Kagome went to sleep that night, after all the little "midgets downstairs" had left and gone home, Inuyasha sitting on the floor right near her. She fell into a light slumber, waking up whenever a car went by or a dog barked. And each time Inuyasha leaped to his feet, alarmed at her shock. Eventually, she fell into a solid slumber and didn't wake up again. But even that didn't stop the hanyou from watching over her with an unblinking eye. It was another night he had gone without sleep.

XD XD XD XD XD XD

"Are you sure?" asked Inuyasha, squatting on the edge of the well, staring at Kagome curiously.

She nodded. "I'm just going to stay a bit longer," she said, folding her hands. "Don't worry, I'm fine! I just want to talk to my mom a bit. Who knows when I'll come back here again."

He nodded slowly. "Okay," he grumbled. "I'll be waiting."

She smiled in a far off sort of way. He lightly tapped her head and jumped into the well, leaving her standing there.

She sighed and turned on her heels, walking up the stairs one at a time, her smile going away bit by bit. She opened the door and stepped out in a cool breeze. It danced with her hair and clothes, making her feel like she was in some old movie or television show.

She whirled around the yard, her feet stepping on the occasional twig or leaf. She passed the main shrine and stopped to say a short prayer. She put her palms together in front of her face; the tips of her middle and index fingers brushing against her chin. She bowed her head and hopped off, playing a mini game of hopscotch on invisible numbers.

Another breeze picked up as she reached the top of the stairs. She looked to the city below and took in a deep breath of hair. She twirled again and spun around back towards her house, looking up at the clear skies. She caught a glance of a bird before closing her eyes.

She pulled open the door to her home with a careless tug and walked inside. She ran a hand over everything she passed, watching what she touched intently. She climbed the stairs, dragging her hands along the railing on either side, kicking off her slippers to let her bare feet touch the soft rug.

She went inside her room and flopped on her bed, hugging her pillow in a seated position. She gently put it back down on in its place and stood up, walking towards her dresser. With her index finger, she traced along the outline of each of her friends in a photograph, ignoring the image of herself. They were all smiling cheerfully in their matching uniforms from junior high; the backdrop of Kyoto towering over them in an almost protective sort of way.

She pulled open the door to her closet and pulled out her favorite clothes - a form fitting evergreen shirt, three quarter-sleeved with an embroidered rose right below the collar and a black skirt, that reached just below her knees with a lacy trim along the hem. She stripped off the jeans and sweatshirt she had tossed on and pulled on the other clothes. She glanced at herself in the mirror.

Normally she would have smiled. She loved the way the outfit looked on her. She only wore in once in a while, on special occasions. Surely this was a special occasion.

Kagome took a long look around her room and nodded at it, walking out and closing the door behind her. She leaned against the closed door and sighed. She pushed herself off and walked down the hall for the bathroom.

Back in the Sengoku-jidai, Inuyasha had starting tapping his fingers on the well. He looked back down in for the hundredth time. "Where the hell is she?" he asked out loud.

"Inuyasha!"

He turned to see Miroku, Sango and Shippo walking towards him. He nodded a brief hello before looking back into the well.

"Staring isn't going to make her come back any faster," said Miroku, taking a glance of his own in the well. "Unless she's in there and refuses to come out?"

"No," replied the hanyou, crossing his arms and sitting down.

Sango sighed and folded her hands behind her back. "We know that something is wrong with Kagome," she said, "But we're not going to ask about it. We trust her judgment."

Inuyasha nodded. He really wasn't in the mood. How long did it take for her to talk to her mother anyway? They wouldn't talk for a half an hour would they? Kagome had said it would only take a little bit before she followed him and returned to his era.

"Where is she then?" asked Miroku.

"Talking to her mother," he snapped in his usual tone.

"Ahh, that could take a while then," said Miroku, taking a seat next to him.

"Feh."

Inuyasha closed his eyes. Maybe it would take a while. Kagome really didn't see her mother that often, so when they got together they could talk for a while. Especially since her mother was usually out of the house.

_Wait a minute_, he thought, his eyes opening, _Kagome's mother left early in the morning... She was takin' that old man to some shrine or something and wouldn't be back till the evening... Kagome...?_

"What the hell did she say that for?" he asked out loud.

"Eh? Inuyasha?" asked Miroku. "Something bothering you?"

He hopped to his feet and looked back down into the well, narrowing his eyes suspiciously.

In her own era, Kagome had locked the bathroom door and was staring at her reflection in the mirror. She had turned on the water in the shower, making sure it was hot so it steamed up the bathroom. She opened the cabinet and dug around in containers and cups, searching between band-aids and peroxide for an unknown object.

She found it and clutched it tightly, closing the cabinet gently. She looked back to her reflection, but couldn't see it anymore. The steam had fogged up the mirror. She raised her right index finger and wrote something on the fogged up mirror, slowly but surely. She stared at it and hoped it wouldn't go away for a while.

Her eyes watered up and a single tear fell down her face - ice cold in comparison to the room she was standing it. She started to shiver despite the warmth. Another tear escaped her eye, this one falling completely off her face and splattering on the tiled floor. The water from the shower continued on, simply a faint noise in the background to her mind. A third tear fell, this one slow as it made its way down her cheek, inching along as if it didn't want to go anywhere.

She turned around and drew in her breath. "I'm sorry Inuyasha..." she whispered. "I could never tell you I loved you..."

She closed her eyes as she brought the blade to her wrist and sliced.

XD XD XD XD XD XD XD

MD: to be continued... I ish so evil. XD Chapter five is already about halfway done though. Maybe a third done. I duno. But it _is_. I'm hoping to get it finished by Thanksgiving... that seems kinda far doesn't it? ::shifty eyes::

Thanks to all who reviewed! I love you all!


	5. chapter five

**MysticalDreamer**: Haha Thanksgiving... oops. I'm a few months late. Stupid writer's block. And school. Yes. I blame much of it on school. And what seems to be my inability to login here...

disclaimer: Don't own it. But I do own and love my Sesshomaru plushie!

**chapter five**

Inuyasha's ears perked up. He sniffed the air and leaned over the well. His eyes widened. "Blood?" he asked.

Miroku and Sango raised an eyebrow and looked down in the well, too.

"What are you talking about?" asked Sango.

Shippo hopped up on the edge and looked up warily. He blinked when he saw nothing, and looked back and forth between Inuyasha, Sango, Miroku and the bottom of the well. "Inuyasha?" he squeaked.

"Dammit!" he shouted, leaping into the well and jumping into the future, leaving behind a very confused monk, slayer and kitsune.

He tore through time and nearly broke down the door as he exited the shrine that held the well.

Kagome stared at her wrist as the blood flowed out. She started to cry again although she didn't realize it. Drops of crimson liquid hit the ground, splattering in random directions. She sank to her knees and watched it ooze out.

She heard thudding and glanced behind her, only to see the locked door fly open, falling off its hinges. Her eyes widened when she saw Inuyasha standing there, his eyes wide with worry and short of breath. His eyes got even larger when he saw her sitting on the ground, bleeding to death. "Kagome!" he said, his voice revealing his fear.

She could only smile weakly at him. "I'm so sorry..." she whispered. The loss of blood was beginning to get to her as she grew dizzy and nearly fell over.

Inuyasha caught her and grabbed her wrist, ripping off the sleeve of his haori. Before he could wrap it around her, she hit his arm with a strong enough force to send the sleeve flying.

"Stop it, Inuyasha!" she snapped, her tears flowing faster.

He grew angry now and pulled her wrist to his mouth, stopping the blood. His mouth was soon filled with a rusty, copper sort of taste, but he didn't stop.

"What are you doing...?" she whispered, exasperated.

He gave her a look and she started to cry harder, knowing that she was crying now. She looked at her wrist to see a blood stained arm. His mouth had traces of her blood as well, and even now he refused to move his mouth.

She clutched his chest with her other arm and buried her face in his shirt. He reached around for his torn sleeve and grabbed it. Before she could stop him again, he quickly switched from his mouth to the cloth, wrapping her wrist tightly. He then cradled her arm in his own, closing his eyes.

For a while, they just sat there in silence. Kagome's tears muffled by his haori, his breathing slowly relaxing.

The shower was still running and it continued to fog up the room. The blood on the tiles started to dry and the blade Kagome had used lay forgotten on the floor. She felt weak from the blood loss and could barely move. The hanyou had a protective arm around her back and he wasn't letting go anytime soon.

Time passed and Inuyasha lightly touched her chin, pulling her face to meet his own. She stared at him with tear stained, blood-shot, empty eyes.

"What the hell is the matter with you?" he asked in a low and dangerous voice.

She couldn't reply. She just stared at him as endless tears escaped her eyes. He sighed and pushed her head back into his chest. Without thinking, he started to stroke her hair. He glanced around the room and caught sight of the mirror. He looked closer when he saw something was written. Luckily, it was written in a kanji that he could actually read. His mouth nearly fell open after he finished.

**_Haunted  
_**_I tried to kill my pain but only brought more  
__I lay dying and I am pouring crimson regret  
__I'm dying, praying, bleeding and screaming  
__Am I too lost to be saved?  
__Holding my last breath safe inside myself  
__Are all my thoughts of you  
__Sweet raptured light  
__It ends here TONIGHT_

He stared at the words and looked to Kagome. As much as she talked to him about everything, he had a funny feeling there was so much more. He pulled her closer.

"Kagome..." he whispered gently into her hair.

"Please... don't say anything. Don't."

He sighed but remained silent. Always the last to admit his fears and he was damn well scared. He continued to stroke her hair as she cried.

"Why are you here..." she asked, in such a low voice that had Inuyasha been a human, he wouldn't have heard it.

"What did you do?"

"I asked you not to say anything!" she shouted at him, voice quivering with tears. She lightly punched his chest with her undamaged arm.

"I'm not listening to you this time," he said, forcing her to look up at him. "What the hell made you do this?"

"Don't ask me this!" she wailed, trying to look away.

"Kagome, dammit, look at me!" he shouted.

She looked at his eyes and saw something she had never seen. A glint, a twist in his pupil. The way his eyebrows furrowed. Anger and fear.

She burst into harder tears and buried her head in his chest again.

"Kagome!" he snapped, grabbing her head with both of his hands and pulling her face so it was looking right at him. "I can't help you if you won't tell me! Goddammit, I know what happened! While I don't know what it feels like, I can see it in you! Do you think I'm a blind bastard?" he said angrily.

"I said I don't wanna talk about it!" she shouted.

"I don't fucking care!" he shouted louder than before.

She stared at him with amazed eyes. She had definitely never seen this side of him before. He had the mouth of a sailor, that she already knew, but he never swore with that sort of intonation.

"Listen to me Kagome," he said, staring into her empty eyes. "For the past few days I've done everything I could to help you. You talked, I listened. You keep saying everything is fine and that you'll be fine."

He looked to her wrist and gently picked it up, showing it to her. "But I can see you're not," he said.

"You don't know-"

"Stop it!" he interrupted, letting her wrist fall. "I don't know what you're going through, okay? I don't freak'n know! But I am here for you! Can't you see that?"

"Why can't _you_ see, Inuyasha?" she shouted. She jumped out of his arms and cradled her wrist. "It won't stop! I keep seeing it over and over! Everywhere! No matter what I do, there he is! Mocking me!"

Tears escaped her eyes in an endless waterfall as Inuyasha climbed to his feet as well and reached out to hold her. She pushed his hand away angrily.

"You say this and that," she said, her eyes closing partway. "But you don't see it. You don't see his face in that sinister twist, smiling so horribly at me." She hugged herself tightly and shuddered. "You weren't there! You didn't see him! He was _enjoying _it!"

She grew silent as she looked back up at Inuyasha, a hopeless expression in her eyes, in her face. "It was like he _planned_ it ..."

Inuyasha's face grew grim. "You're right," he said.

She looked up at him curiously through glossy eyes.

"I didn't see him," he said in a calm voice. "But he's a lucky bastard that I didn't, or he'd be a dead bastard right now. I didn't see it Kagome, because if I had, I would have tore the monster to pieces before he got close to you."

Her mouth quivered. "I don't... I don't want to be here..." she whispered. "I can't stand it! Everyone's so happy-peppy-la la la! And I _have to be just like them_! If not, they'll be suspicious. I have to force it down, keep it in and smile!"

"No you don't!" he shouted, putting his hands on her shoulders. "You don't have to keep everything so bottled up! That's what got you here!"

"Damn right that's what got me here!" she shouted back at him. "I can't deal with it! I see it again and again and then everyone is all happy! It's like they know but they don't care! I have to smile! I have to! I have to!"

She looked at her wrist. Inuyasha grabbed it and pulled it close to him, pulling her closer as well. She looked at him curiously.

"It's because of that I almost lost you," he said softly.

"What?"

"I told you again and again," he said, "I am here with you. Didn't you hear me?"

"Of course I heard you-"

"Then why this?" he demanded, shoving her wrist into her face. She stared at it incredulously. She couldn't answer. "Are you so blinded by your pain that you can't see mine?"

She looked into his eyes and suddenly knew exactly what she had seen in his eyes. Her eyes regained some emotion and tears spilled out once more.

"I respected your choice to remain silent about this," he said, wrapping his arms around her. "I did what seemed to be the best. But if what I've been doin' led to this, then I did something wrong. Tell me, Kagome. What the hell did I do wrong?"

She clutched the top of his haori. "I... You..."

"Well?"

"It's..."

"It's what?"

"I don't know why I get up in the morning," she whispered fast, "If all I'm going to see is his face over and over..."

"You get up because you can," he said, looking her straight in the eye. "You aren't some weak little mortal, I know that by now. You're stronger than that!"

She blinked once and water squeezed out of her eyes and rolled down her cheeks. She stared into his amber eyes, which held that precious emotion she thought he lacked.

"And if you really felt like that," he snapped, motioning to the mirror with his head, "Why the _hell_ didn't you tell me? I said I was here for you and I meant it! Dammit, Kagome, I _meant_ it!"

She wailed into him. "Inuyasha, Inuyasha..." she repeated softly, over and over. He placed a hand on her head as she continued to say his name. "I'm sorry... I'm so sorry..."

The words on the mirror had begun to re-fog back up, making her message vanish. Her tears continued softly as they sank to the tiled floor in a heap of embrace.

"Tell me anything. Tell me everything," said Inuyasha gently, stroking her hair again. "Scream it. Shout it. Let it out."

Her grip on him tightened. He noticed this and rested his chin on the top of her head softly. He felt her tears slowly seep through his haori, just like they had on the night he had found her - battered and unstable. He tightened his arms slightly as well.

Kagome fidgeted a bit and looked up at him. He looked at her curiously, wondering what she was going to say, if she was going to say anything.

"I really will be stronger now," she whispered. "I'm... I'm not going to take the coward's way out."

"That's the Kagome I know," he smiled.

Her lip twitched, but she couldn't smile back. "I can't smile," she said. "I won't smile. I'm not going to until I'm okay again."

"Then that will be our goal," said Inuyasha, "To get you smiling again."

"Sounds like a plan," she said. "I'll do my best."

He smiled again and pushed his forehead to hers. "She really is back," he said. "The Kagome I knew... the Kagome I love."

Her eyes widened at his words, unsure if she had heard him correctly. She blinked once and stared at him.

It was two seconds later that he leaned in closer and captured her lips with his own. She was startled by his sudden action, but soon relaxed in his arms and returned the kiss.

His lips felt so warm compared to the ice cold skin of Naraku. She felt like she might melt a bit in his arms. She hadn't felt so warm in days.

He pulled away a few seconds later, but kept his face close to hers. "Now promise me," he said, cupping her cheek with his hand, "Promise me you won't pull anymore crazy stunts like this."

"I promise," she said, snuggling up close to him. He wrapped his arms around her again and she was enveloped in warmth.

"Good..." he whispered.

XD XD XD XD

When Kagome was able to stand again, and with stability, she realized her bathroom was a Class A disaster zone. It was a heaping mess of broken doors and blood stained tiles. If anyone found the room in such way, it was raise many questions - questions Kagome did not want to answer.

And so, she and Inuyasha set out to clean it up. With some help, she managed to get some water onto the tiles and swish away the dried blood. She watched it flow down the drain and felt a sense of relief overcome her. If Inuyasha hadn't come when he had... she might not even be watching this scene right now. She wouldn't exist anymore.

She grabbed his arm without thinking and pulled it close to her tightly. "Thank you... Inuyasha..." she whispered, in a barely audible voice. He picked it up, however, and smiled faintly.

They managed to clean up the whole bathroom after a while, except for one tiny thing. The door.

It remained destroyed and off its hinges, lying on the ground with a slight dent. How Inuyasha had been able to break through without splitting it in half was a mystery. It was out of Kagome's mind, though, as she needed to come up with a replacement door and fast. She knew her mother wouldn't back down until she was told what had really happened. And Kagome wasn't ready to tell yet.

"What should we do about that?" she asked, turning to face the door. She pointed at it and looked at Inuyasha.

He cringed. "Yeah, sorry about that..." he grumbled. "I wasn't really thinking about inanimate objects at the time, ya know..."

"I know, I know," she mumbled. "But it doesn't change the fact that we have to do something about it. Quickly, too. I have no idea when my mother will get home."

Inuyasha sighed and seemed to be deep in thought. "You could always say... I did it," he muttered.

She looked at him with a curious spark in her eyes. "What?"

"I heard a scream and came flying in without thinking," he replied, crossing his arms. "Only to find you had just slipped on some wet tiles."

Kagome put a finger to her chin and thought for a second. "That might actually work," she said. "My mom loves you, although I can't figure out why, so she'll just be happy to see you cared so much and then wander off and talk about getting a new door. I can offer to pay for half of it."

He nodded. "See? Problem solved," he said. He took her hand. "Now what do you say we get this properly bandaged... and get you some new clothes."

She looked down at herself to find her left sleeve blood stained, as well as parts of her skirt, although not as visible because it was black. She would have laughed nervously, had she been able too.

"I guess I do," she said. She dug around in the cabinets and pulled out a bandage, but froze. "Inuyasha... I need to go to the hospital..."

"What? What's that? Is it bad?"

She shook her head. "A hospital is a place where there are many doctors and they all treat sick and injured people..." She stole a glance at her wrist, and then looked away. "If I don't get this properly treated..." her voice trailed off.

Inuyasha contemplated this for a bit. "But won't they find out what you did?" he asked.

Kagome sighed. "I can just say I sliced it on some broken glass..."

"I don't know..."

He snatched the bandage from Kagome's hand and looked at it. She watched him curiously, wondering what he'd do. "Couldn't we just... go back to my time and fix it up?"

"Why?"

He pulled her wrist closer and his eyes narrowed. "I don't want you out of my sight again," he muttered.

She would have smiled at his words, if possible. She hugged his arm lightly and walked closer to the door. "I guess we should bring it outside or something. I don't wanna leave it in the middle of the bathroom," she said.

Inuyasha appeared at her side and lifted the door with ease. "Where to?" he asked. She motioned for him to follow her and headed downstairs. She directed him to put it, gently, in the corner of the living room.

"That should do it," she said, admiring their work.

"Go change," he said suddenly, crossing his arms. His hands were hidden in the sleeves of his haori.

"Ah," she said. She took another quick look at herself and shook her head. "Yeah, I'll go do that..." she mumbled, speed walking towards her room.

Inuyasha listened carefully as her footsteps echoed through the house. He could tell she was scrambling around in her room, so he plopped down on that 'so-fah' thing. He sat crossed legged with his arms across his chest. His eyes remained open for a while, but they closed eventually out of boredom.

"Sorry it took so long..."

He opened an eye to glance at her.

She had thrown on loose jeans and a dark teeshirt, with a black zip up sweatshirt overtop. It was a bit baggy and hid her sliced wrist, which had been bandaged in an actually gauze earlier. She carried nothing in her arms, and stuck her hands behind her back as she said, "Let's go back now... to the Sengoku-jidai..."

He gave off a faint smile. "Sounds good," he replied.

"I have to come back later... to explain the door to my mom," she said, tilting her head in the battered door's direction. "I'll leave a note for now, but it would be best if it actually came out of my mouth."

"Whatever you want," he said.

She faked a gasp. "Inuyasha? Are you willingly allowing me to come back to my own era?"

"Don't push it. C'mon, let's get a move on," he said, shaking his head as he leaped to his feet. It was at times like this when Kagome would have smiled... had she been capable of doing so. She followed behind him in silence as he led the way to the well.

Inuyasha pushed open the shoji doors of the shrine. He hopped to the ground near the well and glanced back up at Kagome as she walked down the stairs. "Something's on your mind," he noted, watching her face.

"I think... Do you think... Should Sango and Miroku know...?"

"That's your decision, not mine," he replied as she reached the bottom of the stairs and stood next to him. "As long as it doesn't result in something dangerous again..."

"Inuyasha..." she warned. He grinned weakly. "I just... I don't know. They're going to want to know what happened when Kaede-sama treats my wrist. I just don't feel like I should be lying to them about this..."

"As I said before," he said, pressing his forehead to hers. "When you're ready to talk, I'll be there for you. And you know they'll listen. It's up to you."

Now would have been a moment of grinning, but her face was incapable of contorting as such. "I know..." she replied. She closed her eyes. "Not yet..."

"Hm?"

"I don't ... I can't, is more like it..." she explained. "I can't talk about it yet. I will, though. They deserve to know. I ... I just can't tell them yet..."

He nodded. "My lips are sealed," he promised. He smiled as he lifted her in his arms and jumped into the well. They crossed through time without a word and arrived in the Sengoku jidai effortlessly.

Their appearance caused Sango, Miroku and Shippo to jump in shock. All three held worried looks on their faces. Sango and Shippo rushed over to them as Inuyasha set Kagome to her feet.

"Kagome-chan! Are you all right?" questioned Sango, grabbing her friend by the shoulders. "Inuyasha just rushed off-"

"It's okay, Sango-chan, everyone," she replied, pushing off the older girl's hands. She grabbed her damaged wrist without thinking. "I've been acting weird lately..."

Shippo hopped on her shoulder and stared at her with worry. "Is something wrong?" he asked, desperately hoping there wasn't.

She didn't smile in a comforting way, as she normally would. This unsettled Shippo. The kitsune clung to her tightly. "Something..." she started. She didn't know what to say.

Inuyasha grabbed her hand softly. That was all she needed.

"Something happened," she said, eyes downcast. "I... I'm going to tell you all, but at the moment... I just can't do it."

"Kagome-sama?" asked Miroku. His arms were crossed across his chest as a confused and concerned expression appeared on his face.

Another smile would have come around now. "You have my word," she went on, "I am going to tell this. I swear."

Sango wrapped her arms around her. "It's all right, Kagome," she said gently. "I understand. I'm here. Always."

Kagome nearly cried, especially when Miroku lightly placed a hand comfortingly on her shoulder. She wrapped her free hand around Sango's back. "Thank you..." she whispered.

Inuyasha tugged on her hand. He gave a glance and she knew instantly what he meant. She pulled out of the embrace, stealing a look at her wrist. She was starting to feel a bit light headed. She needed this to be treated.

She held up her wrist. "I need to heal this," she said, staring blankly ahead at no one in particular. She scanned the three of them quickly before walking towards the village, pulling along Inuyasha by the hand.

Kagome pulled back the door to Kaede's hut. "Kaede-sama?" she asked.

The elder priestess looked up. "Oh? Kagome? Is something wrong, child?" she asked, getting to her feet from her kneeling position.

Inuyasha entered the hut as well. Kagome held out her wrist. "Could you... treat this? As best you can?" she asked.

Kaede looked confused, but walked over. She took the girl's hand gently and looked it over. "May I remove the bandage?" she asked.

Kagome nodded. "It may start bleeding again," she told her. "So you may want to get the healing herbs and such needed first."

The Priestess let go of her wrist and nodded. She mingled around her hut and dug around, pulling out random things here and there. Kagome sat on the ground as Sango and Miroku entered the hut. They stood off to the side to avoid interfering.

Inuyasha sat beside her as she slowly unraveled the makeshift bandage from her wrist. The bloody gauze fluttered to the ground as she stared at the slice in her wrist. It had not healed, although it was no longer bleeding as badly as it had been. Kaede muttered an "oh my" before getting straight to work.

In time, Kagome's wrist had a proper wrap up with old era anti-biotics inside to heal it. She clutched it to her chest tightly, shutting her eyes. Inuyasha put his hand on hers gently. She opened her eyes and looked at him.

It would have been the perfect time to smile.

XD XD XD XD XD

**MD**: Nya. I end it there. Things may seem slow now, but it's just getting started. I'm _hoping_ to get the next chapter out quicker than this one, but we'll see if that happens.

Thanks to all my lovely reviewers, who I love much! And a quick question: Should I increase the rating because of InuYasha's potty mouth? X3

Oh, Kagome's suicide note is random lyrics from various _Evanescene_ songs. I take no credit for them at all. Hmm... does this mean that _Evanescence_ can be taken as somewhat suicidal? >.>Then again, it could just be me and my twisted view upon things.


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